Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois

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Dinosaur skull turns paleontology assumptions on their head

Phys.org has a piece about a well-preserved Styracosaurus skull which is enlightening paleontologist to the morphological variability of the species. The skull was not symmetrical and has implications as to how we should identify new (and currently known) species of dinosaurs, especially ceratopsians. Details are in a paper published in the journal Cretaceous Research. The skull was discovered by Scott Persons in 2015, then a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, during an expedition in the badlands northwest of Dinosaur Provincial Park. Nicknamed Hannah, the dinosaur was a Styracosaurus—a horned dinosaur over five metres in length with a fan of long horns. UAlberta paleontologists led by…
Read more: Dinosaur skull turns paleontology assumptions on their head
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Cretaceous Legged Snake Fossils Shed New Light on Evolution of Modern Snake Body Plan

Sci-News has a story about the evolution of snakes. A 3-D preserved snake fossil from about 100 million years ago shows compelling clues as to the evolution of snake. This animal, called Najash rionegrina, still had legs and jugal (cheek) bones. The specimens were found in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Details can be found in a paper published in the November 20th, 2019 issue of the journal Science Advances. The evolution of the snake body has captivated researchers for a long time, representing one of the most dramatic examples of the vertebrate body’s ability to adapt. But a limited fossil record…
Read more: Cretaceous Legged Snake Fossils Shed New Light on Evolution of Modern Snake Body Plan
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Paleontologists Unearth Another Giant Penguin in New Zealand

Sci-News has a story about a new giant penguin from New Zealand. The animal, which lived around 27 million years ago during the Oligocene Period, joins a growing list of giant penguins from New Zealand. This list include the genera Kairuku, Pachydyptes, Palaeeudyptes, and Kumimanu. This new one belongs to the genus Kauruku. The details were reported at the 79th Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Brisbane, Australia on October 9th, 2019. New Zealand is a key area for understanding the ancient history of penguins. Fossils found there range in age from Paleocene up to Pleistocene, constituting a…
Read more: Paleontologists Unearth Another Giant Penguin in New Zealand
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The Complete Story of the November 13, 1909 Cherry, Illinois Mine Disaster that killed 259 men

There’s an interesting page about the Cherry Mine Disaster over on “Digital Reseach Library of Illinois History Journal”. It has a little bit of everything, including many pictures. It was posted a few years ago on the 108th anniversary of the event. We just passed the 110th back on November 13th. The whole event is a fascinating story and this page does a great job telling it. The St. Paul Coal Company, which owned the Cherry, Illinois mine, opened in 1905 to supply coal for the trains of its controlling company, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad. On November 13, 1909,…
Read more: The Complete Story of the November 13, 1909 Cherry, Illinois Mine Disaster that killed 259 men
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PBS Eons: When Giant Hypercarnivores Prowled Africa

There’s a new episode of PBS Eons. This one is about the giant carnivores of Africa. These hyaenodonts gave the world some of its largest terrestrial, carnivorous mammals ever known. And while these behemoths were the apex predators of their time, they were no match for a changing world.
Read more: PBS Eons: When Giant Hypercarnivores Prowled Africa
Flashback Friday

ESCONI Flashback Friday #28: Mazon Creek Open House Report 2002

As part of the celebration of ESCONI’s 70th Anniversary, here is Flashback Friday post #28. If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! Here is the announcement of the 2002 Mazon Creek Project Open House. From the sound of the report that follows, it very surely an interesting event! The Burgess Shale, The Solnhofen, and Mazon Creek mention in one lecture! Wow, you know that had to be good! Note that at the end of the report, Desmond Collins comments that Pit 11 is “closed down” and maybe 1/4 of the possible fossils…
Read more: ESCONI Flashback Friday #28: Mazon Creek Open House Report 2002
Calendar of Events

MAPS 2020 – “The Ordovician Period” April 17th – 19th, 2020, Call for Papers

MAPS 2020 will be held Friday April 17th-19th, 2020. The Digest Editors are calling for papers to be included in the EXPO Edition of the Digest. The theme for EXPO XLII is The Ordovician Period. Papers dealing with Ordovician fossils, sites, or stratigraphy would be appreciated. The papers should be in Word, Times New Roman, size 12 Font, single spaced, one space between sentences, and with one inch margins and e-mailed to one of the Digest Editors by the 28 th of February 2020. John: Fossilnautiloid@aol.comChris: CDCozart@aol.com
Read more: MAPS 2020 – “The Ordovician Period” April 17th – 19th, 2020, Call for Papers
Calendar of Events

2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd

Saturday, March 21st – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday, March 22nd – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admittance and parking! Exploreyour interests Shopfor jewelry, gems, fossils, minerals from world-class vendors List to Follow Soon, Stay tuned! Findunique and interesting books at the used book sale Learnfrom members of club demonstrating their hobbies and collections Bid and buygems, minerals and fossils at theSilent Auctionand Live Auctions(photos of some items will be posted on website periodically in the weeks before the show) Enjoyamazing displays from theField Museum Winan amazing earth-science related prize in the hourly raffle if your ticket chosen AND…
Read more: 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd
Calendar of Events

KYANA Geological Society’s Mineral, Gem & Fossil Show Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd, 2019

KYANA Geological Society's Mineral, Gem & Fossil Show November 22, 23, & 24, 2019 Friday, November 22, 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday, November 23, 10 AM - 5 PM Sunday, November 24, Noon - 4 PM Free Admission & Parking Silent Auctions Fossils, Handmade Jewelry, Gemstones, Crystals, Minerals CAMP CRESTWOOD 7206 Clore Ln. Crestwood, KY Dealers! for more informationabout the KYANA show,contact: Gerard Lasley at KYANAGEOSHOWCHAIR@GMAIL.COM View Larger Map Come rock with us!
Read more: KYANA Geological Society’s Mineral, Gem & Fossil Show Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd, 2019
Calendar of Events

2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd

Canceled! Saturday, March 21st – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday, March 22nd – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admittance and parking! Exploreyour interests Shopfor jewelry, gems, fossils, minerals from world-class vendors Vendor List! Exclusive Inspirations Fossil Hut Jackangeline’s Pop Up Rock Shop KU Minerals Lavin’s Gems Mineral Miner Rock Stars Rockhound Mike Rock’s Rocks Southwest Treasures Circle of Stones Findunique and interesting books at the used book sale Learnfrom members of club demonstrating their hobbies and collections Bid and buygems, minerals and fossils at theSilent Auctionand Live Auctions(photos of some items will be posted on website periodically in…
Read more: 2020 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show March 21st and March 22nd
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Palaecast Episode 105: Ferrodraco

There’s a new episode of Palaeocast. This one is about the new Australian pterosaur, Ferrodraco lentoni, which was recently described in a paper that appeared in Scientific Reports. Discovered in the Winton area of central western Queensland, it had a wingspan of about 4 meters (13 feet). This animal lived about 96 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. You may recall that we posted a link on this pterosaur back in October. This is an interview with the lead author on the paper. Australia has many fossils from all ages, including several dinosaurs known exclusively from this time and…
Read more: Palaecast Episode 105: Ferrodraco
Calendar of Events

Reminder: ESCONI Holiday Party December 6th, 2019, 5:30 PM at Cozymel’s in Wheaton

An artist’s depiction of the extinct giant, frond-shaped organisms known as rangeomorphs. Credit: Reid Psaltis The 2019 ESCONI Holiday Dinner is December 6, 2019, starting at 5:30 PM at Cozymel’s in Wheaton. We will be ordering off the menu. As in the past few years, there will be door prizes given away. Please RSVP to Dave at fossil54@att.net
Read more: Reminder: ESCONI Holiday Party December 6th, 2019, 5:30 PM at Cozymel’s in Wheaton
Around the Web

We Could Be Witnessing the Death of a Tectonic Plate, Says Earth Scientist

Live Science has a story about the tectonic plates along the West Coast of the United States. The plate named Juan de Fuca (pronounced “wahn de fyoo-kuh”), which is about the size of Michigan, has a large tear. The plate is located off the coast of Northern California extending north past Oregon, Washington, up to even British Columbia. The size of the tear in this plate probably explains earthquakes off the shore of California and the volcanoes in Oregon. The research on this appeared in a paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters back in July. “Where other people had…
Read more: We Could Be Witnessing the Death of a Tectonic Plate, Says Earth Scientist
Flashback Friday

ESCONI Flashback Friday #27: 10th Anniversary Pictures

As part of the run up to ESCONI’s 70th Anniversary, here is Flashback Friday post #27. If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! Here are some pictures from the 10th Anniversary celebration. ESCONI Board at Pugh’s – G. Law, O. Fether, R. Bish, M. Cornwell, V. Montgomery – 1959 ESCONI Board at Pugh’s – J. Schnitzlein, Darrows, H. Knight, Hoff, Pugh – 1959 Max Hillmer, Carl Hoffman, Dorothy Ade, Jay Farr ESCONI 10th Anniversary 11-13-1959 ESCONI 10th Anniversary 11-13-1959 ESCONI 10th Anniversary – Bill Allaway 11-13-1959 ESCONI 10th Anniversary – John Ade_11-13-1959…
Read more: ESCONI Flashback Friday #27: 10th Anniversary Pictures
Around the Web

First evidence of feathered polar dinosaurs found in Australia

Phys.org has a story about the first polar dinosaurs with feathers. Fossilized dinosaur and bird feathers have been found in what are fine muddy sediments in Australia. The deposit was once the bottom of a shallow lake that was close to the South Pole during the Cretaceous. The feathers date to about 118 million years ago and range from proto-feathers to downy body feathers to wing feathers from primitive birds. The description is in a paper published in the journal Gondwana Research. “Dinosaur skeletons and even the fragile bones of early birds have been found at ancient high-latitudes before. Yet,…
Read more: First evidence of feathered polar dinosaurs found in Australia
Calendar of Events

ESCONI November Paleontology Study Group Meeting – Saturday, November, 16th, 2019 at 7:30 PM.

The November Paleontology Study Group Meeting will be Saturday, November, 16th, 2019 at 7:30 PM. The topic is "Pontiac Crinoids". The presentation is by ESCONI Member Tom Williams. Come on out!
Read more: ESCONI November Paleontology Study Group Meeting – Saturday, November, 16th, 2019 at 7:30 PM.
Around the Web, In Memoriam and Honorarium

David Bardack, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago

David Bardack, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago has passed away. He was a specialist on fishes and was responsible for naming and describing many of the fishes of the Mazon Creek biota, including early hagfish and lamprey. He was 87. Here is a partial list of his papers.
Read more: David Bardack, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Around the Web

Roy Plotnick: Who knows where the time flows?

Roy Plotnick has a new post over on Medium. The topic is clear representation of data. Whether the topic is geology, chemistry, physics, or economics, it’s important to present data clearly and during a presentation or paper to describe it for all to understand. When I was a graduate student, my fellow student Anne Raymond (now at Texas A&M), taught me an important lesson about discussing a graph during a presentation. She insisted that you must point at each axis and describe what it says, including describing the range of data on the axis, before discussing the content of the…
Read more: Roy Plotnick: Who knows where the time flows?
Flashback Friday

Happy 70th Birthday ESCONI!

ESCONI (Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois) was founded on November 11, 1949 with an initial meeting of 13 people interested in Earth Sciences. William Allaway was the 1st President of ESCONI. The purpose of ESCONI: The aim of the Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois is to promote an interest in the earth sciences, among these are geology, paleontology, mineralogy, micromounting, and the lapidary arts. The ESCONI Bulletin, Earth Science News, has been published 11 times per year continuously since January 1950. Excerpts from the original historical document (NewsletterHistory.pdf) On November 11, 1949. Thirteen People, each interested in some phase of…
Read more: Happy 70th Birthday ESCONI!
Calendar of Events

ESCONI November General Meeting – ESCONI 70th Birthday Celebration Pictures

The November General Meeting last Friday, November 8th, 2019 was a great time! We have a very large turnout and had to expand into the neighboring room. There were two speakers, Keith Robitschek and Paul Mayer. Keith did a presentation that discussed the history of ESCONI from 1949 to the present, while Paul spoke about the long fruitful relationship between the Field Museum and ESCONI. The Cake! The current Board of Directors. Jeff Lord President, Chris Cozart Curator, Irene Broede 2nd Vice President, John Catalani Field Trip Chairman, Don Cronauer Editor, Andy Jansen Treasurer and Librarian, Keith Robitschek Historian and…
Read more: ESCONI November General Meeting – ESCONI 70th Birthday Celebration Pictures

Friday, April 10th	General Meeting – 8:00 PM via Zoom. Jessica Hull will present “Life in the Devonian Period, The Age of Fishes.”
Saturday, April 11th	Junior Study Group Meeting – 2:00 PM, in person at the College of DuPage Technical Education Center (TEC) Building – Room 1038A (Map). Katherine Howard will present on Sand and Sediment Collecting. Specifics of this meeting are available from Scott Galloway, 630-670-2591, gallowayscottf@gmail.com.
Saturday, April 18th	Paleontology Study Group – 7:30 PM via Zoom and in person at the College of DuPage, TEC, Room 1038B (Map). Keith Robitschek will present “Digging the Marl of the Lance Formation.”
Friday, April 24th	MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL.
Saturday, April 25th	MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL.
Sunday, April 26th	MAPS Expo XLVII – Springfield, IL.
No meeting this month	Mineralogy Study Group

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